Alfred c



(ModeL) A. G. LAWRENCE. PERMUTATION LOCK.

No. 417,873. I Patented Dec. 24, 1889.

ATTORNEYS.

N, PETERS, Pinch-Lithographer. Washinglon. no.

UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED O. LAWVRENOE, OF TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA.

PERM UTATION-LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 417,873, dated December24, 1889.

Application filed August 28,1889. Serial No. 822,246. (ModeL) To aZZwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED O. LAWRENCE, of Toronto, in the Province ofOntario and Dominion of Canada, have invented a new and ImprovedPermutation-Lock, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

My invention relates to a permutation-lock designed more especially formoney-drawers at cashiers desks or under counters or shelves in stores,offices, or other places; and the invention has for its object toprovide a simple, inexpensive, and effective lock of the class which maybe operated only by authorized persons knowing the proper order in whichthe permutation levers or parts must be worked to allow withdrawal ofthe bolt.

The invention consists in certain novel features of construction andcombinations of parts of the look, all as hereinafter described andclaimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is an outside face view of my improved lock. Fig. 2 is aninside face view of the lock with its case in section, and shows also aportion of a drawer to which the lock is applied. Fig. 3 is atransversesection taken 011 the line at a: in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detailperspective view of parts of the bolt-plate and its movable latching orlooking head. Fig. 5 is an inside perspective view of the lock with itscasing partly broken away. Fig. 6 is a side view of one of thepermutation-disk tumblers and its adjustable operating-lever. Fig. 7 isa horizontal sectional view taken 011 the line 'y yin Fig. 6, and Fig. 8is a transverse section taken 011 the line z e in Fig. 6.

The lock-casing A is made in two parts-a box-like portion a, in whichthe operative parts of the lock are mainly inclosed, and anangularly-formed inner plate a, the upper portion of which has a fewholes, through which screws a pass into lugs cast 011 the box a tosecure the two parts of the case A together.. The latch-bolt B on themovable bolt-plate C projects through an opening provided for it in thepart a of the case. The opposite ends of the casing-box a are pro videdwith suitable vertical guides a a between which the bolt-plate O isfitted to slide vertically, and to this plate is fixed an arm D, whichpreferably carries a thumb plate or key cl at its outer end, and so thatby depressing the arm the bolt-plate will also be depressed.

The bolt B is provided with a slot 1), in which the plate O fitsloosely, and the plate is also preferably provided with an open slot 0,which allows the bolt to have independent vertical movement on theplate; or, in. other words, the bolt may be lowered without lowering theplate; but the bolt has lower laterally-projecting side lugs b whichunderlie projecting shoulders or lugs c 011 the plate; hence when thebolt-plate O is depressed the bolt B will be lowered with it. The lug cat one side or end of the bolt is fixed to the bolt-plate after the boltis placed on the plate, with its lugs b at one end under the othershoulder-piece c on the plate. A spring E, fixed at one end to the caseA, acts by its free end'on the arm D to lift the bolt-plate C to normalraised posit-i011, and a spring F, fixed to or held in the bolt-plate G,acts by its free ends beneath the bolt B to lift it to normal raised orlockingposition. These springs are shown made of wires, and the oneF isdoubled on itself and is held by its bent end or part in the plate 0,and bears by its two limbs against the bottom of the bolt B at oppositesides of the plate, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings.Below the bolt-plate O a shaft or rod G is held in the casing A, and onthis shaft are placed loosely any desired number of metal disks H, eachof which is slotted radially at h to allow the lowered bolt-plate O toenter it when the slot is aligned with the plate. Next each disk H isplaced loosely on the shaft G a finger-lever I, which is provided at oneface with a stud or projection 1', adapted to engage either one of twonotches h h made in the side of the disk. The outer end of each of thelevers I is provided with a finger piece or plate for greaterconvenience of operation. On the shaft G,

between the series of disks and their actuating-levers H I, are placed aseries of tubes or sleeves J, which maintain the disks and levers atproper distance apart; but at one place on the shaft anormally-expanding spring K is placed, so that by its pressure it holdseach of the levers I into engagement with either notch 7?. h of itscorresponding disk H, but will allow any one or more of the levers to beturned on the shaft independently of its disk H, to slip the lever-studi from one to the other of the two notches h h of its correspondingdisk. A series of springs L, held in any approved manner to the caseAas, for instance, to a rod Z, fixed to the caseact one under thefarther end of each lever I to raise that end and normally depress itsother end, which projects from the lock-case.

From the aforesaid description it is obvious that the shaft G forms afulcrum common to all the fin ger-levers I, and also forms a bearin g onwhich each slotted disk H may be partially rotated independently ofevery other disk, and the shaft also sustains the spacingsleeves J andthe spring K, the construction being simple, inexpensive, and efficient.

In Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings the lock is shown fitted into the'frontof a drawer M,

r H arm D, which will carry the bolt B downward and free it from itscatch-plate at the drawercasing, and which may be on the counter of astore or office. The drawer M may now be opened by any one who simplydepresses the arm D. hen, however, it is desired to set the look so itmay be opened only by anauthorized person or persons, the bolt-plate Gwill be depressed into the notches h of the disks to prevent theirturning 011 the shaft G, and the lever I of one or more of the diskswill then be drawn upward to cause the stud 'i of the lever to springout of the disk-notch h into the disk-notch 71 and when the arm D isreleased the spring E will instantly lift the bolt-plate and bolt tonormal position, and as the bolt-plate leaves the disk-slots 71. thespring of the lever I, which had been shifted to the disk-notch 7L2,will instantly lower the lever, and thereby carry the slot 7b of thedisk it engages around out of line with the bolt-plate C, so that thisplate with its bolt cannot be lowered again until the lever or levers I,which had been adjusted in disknotches 72. are raised to swingtheirdisk-slots into line with the bolt-plate and with the slots h of theother disks whose levers I, had

not been shifted to change the combination.

second and fourth disks H have been readjusted into the disk-notches 71,hence to open the drawer it is necessary to first raise the levers I ofsaid second and fourth disks II to swing their slots 71, around intoalignment be lowered to unlock the drawer.

with the slots of all the other disks, and when this is done by twofingers the thumb will depress the arm D, which will at once lower thebolt B and allow the drawer M to be opened. When the arm and levers D Iare released, the springs E L will instantly restore the parts 0 B H tonormal positions. To change the combination again, it is only necessaryto raise the second and fourth 1evers I and again depress the arm D tocarry the bolt-plate 0 down into the slots h of all the disks, and whilethe parts are thus adjusted the second and fourth levers I will again bedepressed to shift their studs i out of the notches 7&2 of theirrespective disks H, and the first and third, or the first and fifth, orthe first and fourth, or any one, or two, or three, or four of theleversI may be raised to carry their studs 1' into the notches 7L2 oftheir corresponding disks, and when the parts D I are released thesprings E L will again restore the bolt-plate, bolt, andpermutation-levers to normal positions, ready for the open- 111g of thelock only by proper persons who know which of the levers I are to beraised to bring the radial slots of all the disks H into alignment toallow the bolt-plate and bolt to The object in making the bolt Bindependently movable on the bolt-plate O is to always allow the drawerto be closed when open, and without working the permutation-disks afterthe levers I have been released by the person opening the drawer toallow him to make change or calculate charges or discounts on goodsbought or sold. It is obvious, when the drawer M is open and the arm Dis up and the levers I are all down, and when the bolt-plate O could notbe shot into the disk-notches by pressing on the arm D, that as thedrawer is pushed in or closed the bolt B will be forced inward, like anordinary latch-bolt, while the bolt-plate 0 remains at rest, and whenthe 5 drawer is fully pushed in the spring F will I again lift the boltbehind its catch-plate and hold the drawer securely locked or closeduntil the next time the proper levers I are operated to allowthebolt-plate C to be lowered I by pressure on the arm D of the lock.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a permutation-lock, the combination,

-with a case, a bolt-carrying plate, and means for sliding said plate,of a series of radiallyslotted disks, each provided with two side .1notches, and a corresponding series of levers, each having a studadapted to either notch of its adjacent disk, substantially asdescribed, for the purposes set forth.

I11 Fig. 5 of the drawings the levers I of the j 2. In apermutation-lock, the combination,

I with a case, a bolt-carrying plate, and means for-sliding said plate,of a series of radiallyslotted disks, each provided with two sidenotches, a corresponding series of levers, each having a stud adapted toeither notch of its adjacent disk, and springs holding the boltplate,disks, and levers in normal positions, substantially as herein setforth.

3. In a permutation-lock, the combination, with a case, of a bolt-platesliding thereon, a bolt fitted for independent movement on the plate toyield when the plate is immovable, springs normally projecting thebolt-plate and bolt, a series of radially-slotted disks, each providedwith two side notches, and a corresponding series of levers, each havinga stud adapted to either notch of its adjacent disk, substantially asherein set forth.

l. In a permutation-lock, the combination, with a case, of a slidingbolt-carrying plate having an arm D, a spring projecting said plate, ashaft G, a series of disks H, slotted radially at h and notched at h 7L2and placed on said shaft, a series of levers I on said shaft, eachprovided With a stud 2', adapted to either notch of the adjacent disk,spacing-pieces between the disks and levers, a spring normally holdingthe levers to their respective disks, and springs, as L, retracting thedisk-levers and disks, substantially as herein set forth.

5. In a permutation-lock, the combination, with a case, of a slidingbolt-plate O, a bolt B, independently movable thereon, springs E F,normally shooting the bolt-plate and bolt, a shaft G, a series of disksH, slotted radially at h and notched at h 72 and placed on said shaft, aseries of levers I on the shaft, each lever provided With a stud 1',adapted to either notch of the adjacent disk, spacing-pieces between thedisks and levers, a spring holding the levers to the disks, and springs,as L, re-

tracting the disk-levers and disks, all constructed and arranged foroperation substantially as herein set forth.

6. In a lock, the combination, with the sliding bolt-plate C and a boltB, astride the plate, of a spring E, retracting the bolt-plate and bolt,and a bent spring F, held at its center to the plate 0 and acting atboth ends on the bolt B to project it on the bolt-plate, substantiallyas herein set forth.

7. In a lock, the combination, with the sliding bolt-plate 0, havingrecess 0 and shoulders c c, of a bolt B, slotted at b and placed astridethe plate 0 at its recess 0 and provided With shoulders b, adapted tothe boltshoulders c, and a spring normally projecting the bolt on theplate, substantially as herein set forth.

8. In a lock, the combination, with the case, of a shaft therein, aseries of permutationdisks H, loose in the shaft and slotted radially ath and notched at h W, a corresponding series of levers I, loose 011shaft G and each provided with a side stud '0', adapted to either notchh h2 of its corresponding disk H, spac ing-sleeves J on the shaft G, anda spring K on the shaft and holding each lever to its disk,substantially as herein set forth.

ALFRED C. LAWRENCE.

\Vitnesses:

CHAS. WARD, FRANK. O. WARD.

